Whether you just celebrated the last night of Chanukah yesterday or you're looking forward to Christmas Eve tonight and the day tomorrow, nothing changes my wishes to all of you for peace, hope, good health and a time filled with memory-making moments with those special people you love in your life. It's my favorite time of year and it's thanks to so many wonderful people who I'm fortunate to have in my life.

But, getting back to the lighter side of the holidays, you have to help me through a challenge, which is dealing with those of us who think of ourselves as amateur poet laureates. I wrote this two years ago and bring it out of mothballs every year believing that somebody will recognize my talent and help me launch a reputation right up there with Robert Frost!

Well, here it is out of the archives and presented to my SCU audience for 2014...

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the houseI’d unplugged my computer and even the mouse.My blogs for year-end were all ready to goThere was no reason to work, the Internet was slow.

For reasons unknown as if it made sensemy email needed cleaning and I got “off the fence.”For over a year I’d saved every notethe ones I received and the ones that I wrote.

So I started deleting each email and letter.The more I deleted the more I felt better.2012 Email from Curley, Heisler and BourneTaufer, Kubota, Malloy and Dorne.

And then went the drafts I’d written, but never sentfrom those days when writing just helped me vent.When all of a sudden I jumped up like LeBron,My joke files from Vedros and Steinhardt were gone.

Gone were the best jokes from PG to X rated,the ones that I loved and the ones that I hated.My email had been full with great moments and smiles,but my computer was slowing down with the over-stuffed files.

I wiped off my tears and even my nosethe files, like Saint Nick, up the chimney they rose.My collection of jokes was gone and deleted.I felt so alone, so sad and defeated.

When all of a sudden I jumped up with a grinMy backup drive was never plugged in.I’d only deleted the stuff on one drive!My tasteless jokes, every one did survive!

And I heard a voice, I thought from the skyWas it Santa, his reindeer who had just flown by?I realized the words were from Sheila, my wife,"Shut off the computer you fool - get a life.It’s Christmas and you’re screaming gave me a fright!Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night"

Wishing all of you a wonderful holiday season filled with love, compassion and appreciation. Sheila and I feel so fortunate to know so many of you and have your support.

"Why?"

Check out"Why?" one of the most popular features on the SCU Blog.It's a very simple concept - one image, one artist and one short sound byte. Each artist shares what makes the image one of their most favorite. There were fifty different artists featured in 2016 and we anticipate doubling that in 2017. Click on the link above and you can scroll through all of the episodes to date.

Authors

Skip Cohen is President of SCU, founder of Marketing Essentials International and past president of Rangefinder Publishing and WPPI. He's been an active participant in the photographic industry since joining Hasselblad USA in 1987 as president. He has co-authored six books on photography and actively supports dozens of projects each year involving photographic education.

Special Guests

SCU is proud to bring you some of the most recognized photographers in the industry. You'll also meet a few not so well known, but with terrific ideas to help you build a stronger business model.

Scott Bourne

Scott Bourne has retired, but as the first Dean of Marketing at SCU, a professional photographer and educator his support was critical to the success and growth of SCU. From time to time you'll see a reference to one of his Marketing Monday posts from the SCU or GoingPro archives.